Moistener for internal-combustion engines.



. O. G. RICH. MOISTENER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, 1910.

PatentedMar. 14, 1911.

CHARLES CLAYTON RICH, OF I VIOUNT VERNON,,.1\T-EW YORK.

MOISTENER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed April 12, 1910. Serial No. 555,045.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. RICH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of Vestchester and State of New York, have invented cersame for use in the combustion chambers or cylinders of internal combustion engines such as gas, gasolene, or alcohol engines, the invention aiming to compel the air or gas eous mixture to take up the moisture by absorption during its passage from the carbureter to the cylinder or cylinders, or if desired, to have the moisture drawn into'the carbureter before the air makes its entrance therein, and the invention also has for its object, means whereby the air or gaseous mixture will be destratified in addition to being moistened.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a conventional representation of an internal combustion engine and carbureter therefor: Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views illustrating 'two different ways in .hereinafter specifically referred to.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all. the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

embodies a casing A which may 'be of any desired construction, size or design, and

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented llIitl'. 14-, 1911i i which preferably comprises a bottom section 1, and a top or lid section 2 of any desired proportions and detachably connected together in any desired way, so that ,the"bot;,

tom section may be removed for the purpose of pouring water therein, or for the purpose of inserting or removing any of the interior parts, or for any other purpose. I It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited in this regard, and that the bottom section may be provided with any means for admitting water therein, and that the top section may be constructed in-any desired way to provide for the insertion and removal of the parts which it contains.

Designed to be contained within the casing A, are any desired number of plates or disks 3 which are formed with any desired number of bolt holes to receive tie-bolts 4, which, together with interposed washers or thimbles 5 strung on the tie-bolts connect together the entire series of plates or disks in predetermined spaced relation to each other. disk is formed with any desired number of perforations 6,the perforations of eachdisk being set out or alinement or in staggered relation to the perforations of the two adjacent disks, whereby the air or gaseous mixture passing through each disk in the series will be broken up into a plurality of streams or Each currents which will impinge against the solid portion of the next disk in the series 'companying drawing, the entire set of disks connected together asabove described, is slipped preferably by an end-wise movement into a compartment which is formed in the top section 2-of the casing A by means of a partition 10 conforming substantially to the shape of the inner surface of the upper section 2, and spaced from the innerwvall of such see- My improved moistener and destratifier tion, the partition being substantially of inverted U-shape in the present instance. Thissupported upon transversely curved or longitudinally extending ledges 9 that form integral portions of the interior walls of the partition 10. The said partition is formed at intervals with segmental and transversely extending slots 11 of any desired length and preferably of a width to correspond to the width of the coated disks, there being one slot 11 for each disk and the slot registering with the edge of the disk as clearly illustrated in the drawing. The downwardly extending ends 8 of the absorbent material or coating 7 extend through the slots 13 formed in the top plate l of the section 1 and are immersed in water which such section contains whereby the said material will absorb the water and maintain the material 7 in a moist condition so as to supply moisture to the air or other gaseous mixture passing through the device. Interposed between the partition 10 and the inner wall of the casing is an auxiliary layer 12 of wicking or other absorbent material,the same preferably extending from end to end of the receptacle or casing, the ends of the layer extending down into the water in the lower section 1, while the upper portion of the layer extends across the slots 11 thereby conveying moisture to the upper portions of the disks.

The casing A may be provided at its ends with pipe connections or nipples 14 whereby it may be connected between the carbureter B and the engine cylinder O as indicated in Fig. 2 whereby the entire gaseous mixture will be moistened as it passes from the carbureter to the cylinders or may be connected by one of th nipples to the air-inlet port of the carbureter B as indicated in Fig. 3, so as to moisten the air before it makes an entrance into the carbureter. It is to be un derstood that my invention is not limited to either of these arrangements, nor to any particular construction, arrangement, or proportion of the parts, as various changes may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

From the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, it is manifest that the air or gaseous mixture passing into the casing at one end will be effectually moistened and destratified by passing through the apertures 6 of one moistened disk after the other, the moisture being not only absorbed entirely by the increase in superficial area which is obtained by staggering theripertures of the respective disks and causingthe -fine streams or currents to impinge against the solid portion of one disk after passing through the apertures of the next preceding disk, but by this arrangement also, the formation of strata which is'one of the disadvantageous features incidental to the passage of air and gaseous mixture to the combustion chambers or cylinders of internal combustion engines is eifectually avoided. As the under or lower portions of the coated disks 3 would tend to be kept more moist than the upper portions owing to their proximity to the immersed extensions 8, I provide the partition 10 and the auxiliary wicking or absorbent layer 12 which is interposed between the partition 10 and the inner wall of the casing, the side edges of the layer 12 extending down into the water and the uppermost portion of said layer conveying moisture to the upper portions of the coated disks through the segment-alslots 11. By this means, the moistening of the coated disks is rendered uniform.

It is of course to be understood that the device of this invention may be used as a. destratifier solely, merely by omitting the water from the casing and also the absorbent layers or strips. With this arrangement, the ases will be divided into a multiplicity oi fine streams or currents which, as they pass through the perforations of one disk will strike imperforate portions .of the next disk in the series, and so on throu hout the entire series of disks, the destratlfication being thereby effectively accomplished. An arrangement of this character would be particularly advantageous in freezing weather, when the automobilist, for instance would not care to run the risk of the water freezing in the casing.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1.. In a device of the character described, a casing adapted to contain a liquid, an absorbent strip mounted in said casing and extending down into said liquid, and an auxiliary strip mounted in the casing and also extending down into said liquid and thence over the top of the first-named strip, for the purpose specified.

2. In a device of the character described, a casing adapted to contain a liquid, an absorbent strip mounted in said casing and extending down into said liquid, and an auxiliary strip mounted in the casing and I the casing and spaced from the inner walls thereof, the partition covering the absorbent strip and formed at its topavitli a slot, and an auxiliary strip mounted in the casing between the partition and the inner wall'of the casing and contacting through the slot with the first named strip.

I 4. In a device of the character described, a casing adapted to contain liquid, a plu- 'rality. of absorbent strips mounted therein and extending into the liquid, a partition mounted in the casing and spaced from the inner walls thereof, the partition extending over the entire serles of strips and formed at its. top with slots registering with said strips, and an auxiliary strip mounted in the casing between the partition and the in 'ner. wall of the casing and contacting through the slots with the first named strips. 5. In a device of the character described,

a casing adapted to contain liquid, a plural-- ity of perforated disks formed with boltholes, tie-bolts rvtending through the boltholes, washers interposed between said disks and mounted on said tie-bolts whereby to hold the disks in spaced relation to each other, and absorbent material applied to the.

. face of the disks and adapted to be moistened by the liquid contained in the casing.

6. In a device of the character described, a casing adapted to contain liquid, a partition mounted in said casing and spaced from i the inner wall thereof, the partition being formed at opposite sides with supporting ledges, a series of perforated disks held in partition being formed at the top of said disks with slots-registering with the disks, and an auxiliary strip of absorbent material disposed between the partition and the inner wall of the casing and extending into the liquid therein, said auxiliary strip ex tending over the slots whereby to supply the upper edges of the diskswith moisture.

7. In a device of the character described, a casing, a partition mounted in the casing and spaced from the inner wall thereof, the partition being formed at opposite sides with supporting ledges, a series of perforated disks held in spaced relation to. each other and supported on said ledges, the partition being formed at the top of said disks with slots registering with the disks, and a strip of absorbent material disposed between the partition and the inner Wall of the cats ing and arranged to be moistened by the liquid within the casing, said strip extending over the slots in the partition for the purpose specified.

In testlmony whereof, I affix my s1gnature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES CLAYTON RICH. Witnesses:

W. N. WOODSON, FREDERICK S. STITT. 

